Photo: depositphotos
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for launching a hypersonic missile at Israel, asserting that the attack successfully hit an “Israeli enemy” target. A representative of the Houthi military wing stated that the “high-quality operation” managed to bypass Israel’s air defense systems and strike a target in “occupied Jaffa,” covering a distance of 2,040 kilometers in 11 minutes.This is reported by Cursorinfo.
Impact of the Attack
The morning launch of the ballistic missile from Yemen caused loud explosions in central Israel, raising serious questions among Israeli military officials. The ground-to-ground missile was launched early and was likely not successfully intercepted by the “Arrow” system. Additional “Iron Dome” interceptors were fired to destroy missile fragments, leading to many of the loud explosions heard in Tel Aviv and other central areas.
Possible Reasons for Interception Failure
Experts suggest that the Houthis may have reduced the missile’s warhead weight in favor of increasing fuel capacity, allowing it to reach Israel from around 2,000 km away. This decision might have reduced the missile’s impact power but enabled it to cover a greater distance.
Israel’s Air Defense System
Israel’s missile defense system was expected to detect the launch at multiple stages — from monitoring potential launch sites with Israeli and American satellites to detecting the missile with radars on US and Israeli Navy ships and the long-range X radar stationed in the Negev. However, the interception failed. The IDF is conducting an investigation to determine why the missile was not destroyed in time.
